Controlling device for record-controlled machines



-March 21, 1933. J. w. BRYCE 1,902,013

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR RECORD CONTROLLED MACHINES Filed April 16, 1925 5Sheets-Sheet l J. W. BRYCE Mar ch 21, 1933.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR RECORD CONTROLLED MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 16, l925 March 21, 1933. J. w. BRYCE 1,902,013

v CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR RECORD CONTROLLED MACHINES Filed p il 16, 19253 Sheets-Sheet 5 y the machine.

Patented Mar. 21,' 1933 UNITED STATES JAMES W; BRYCE, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TAIBULATING MACHINE CO MPANY, OF ENDICOT'I, NEWYOEK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CONTROLLING DEVICE FORRECORD-CONTROLLED MACHINES Application filed April 18, 1925. Serial No.23,719.

v The invention relates to improvements in automatic controlling devicesfor record-controlled machines such as tabulating machines. In machinesof this class provision is made for sensing the record group designatingperforations and for modifying or otherwise bringing about a differentfunctional operation of the machine when there are unlike designatingperforations in two successive records.

Heretofore such operation has been performed by energizing individualmagnets under the control of the brushes and these magnets in turn whenenergized establish a supplementary control circuit. The previousdevices have utilized and necessitated the use of direct current andhave employed a considerable number of contacts in various circuits. Acord circuit contact was in cluded for each magnet and the control circuit including a number of contacts serially disposed therein andthrough which all controlling current had to pass in order to maintain'the operation of the machine.

The present invention has for its objects the provision of devices ofsuch character that alternating current may be utilized in place of thedirect current in the various card circuits thereby dispensing with theuse of a multiplicity of contacts. I

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of anovel arrangement of the controlling circuit whereby the use of seriescontacts is obviated. Contacts in parallel are employed any one of whichmay establish a normally open controlling circuit and thus bring about achange in the operation of the machine. Heretofore the' controllingcircuit has been a normally closed one and changes of record groups haveopened the said circuit to bring about the control of A further objectof the present invention resides in a novel arrangement of controlmagnets having double windings, one winding being energized from'acard-circuit from one brush and record perforation and the other windingbeing energized under the control of the other brush which cooperateswith a perforation upon a different card. In the event that bothwindings are energized concurrently, the record perforations agreeing,there is no attraction of the armature or relay arm and, consequently,the machine con-,

tinues in operation. However, if the record peforations of two analyzedcards do not agree there is an unbalancing of the differentially woundcontrol magnet and this magnet will then act to attract its armature andeffect control of the control circuit.

While the instrumentalities proposedfind particular utility in machinesemploying alternating current in the brush or card C1I'- Fig. 1 showsdiagrammatically one embodi- V ment of the invention. 3 v

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 in whicha single controlling relay-is employed in place of individual relaysshown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 3a taken together show a complete tabulating machineembodying my improvedcontrol system. The control stem airing in thesefigures is shown by eavy alternating current generator which may be ofmagneto type if desired. Contacts T'5 establish a circuit from the A. C.generator M to the common linev 10 supplying A. C. impulses to the upperand lower brushes 11, 12. Contacts T5 break the brush circuit during theintervals betweencards and establish this brush circuit during theperiod that the perforated fields of the cards are passing under thebrushes. The successive cards which pass under the brushes arerespectively designated 13 and 14. Upon the Referring now to Fig. 1, Mrepresents an :the windings 17 and 18 opposite sides of the cards fromthe brushes contact blocks 15 and 16 are provided, which contact blocksare wired to opposing windings 17 18. Both windings 17 and 18 at theirends are connected to a common ground circuit 19. The magneto or A. C.generator M is also connected 'to ground at 20. It will be understoodthat ifperforations are concurrently under brushes 11 and 12 there willbe a current flow through both windings 17 and 18 and inasmuch as thesewindings oppose each other the magnetizing effect will be neutralized.If a perforation comes under either brushes 11 or 12 at a time whenthere is not a perforation under the other brush one or the other ofwindings 17 or 18 will be energized while the other winding will not beenergized. In this event there is a magnetizing efiect which can act toattract an armature 21. There is one ofthese armatures 21 for each ofthe various columns. Armatures 21 are connected to a circuit 22 whichreceives current from the generator M. When attracted by the unbalancedaction of any one or more of coils 17, 18, one or more of the armatures21 will be raised and will establish a circuit to a line 23, which lineextends to a control coil 24 connected to ground as shown. Theenergization of control coil 24 will attract an armature 25 andinterrupt a control circuit 74. This control circuit 74 may extend toany control magnet in the record-controlled machine which is intended.to be deenergized to bring about a modification of the operation of themachine. Inasmuch as the energization of a coil 24 is only momentarilydue to the pulsations of current which are supplied from generator M,provision is made for retaining armature 25 in position to maintain theopening of control circuit 74. One method of effecting this is byproviding a latch 27 provided with a suitable spring and an engagingnotch 28 to catch armature 25 when the latter is attracted by theenergization of coil 24. After,

the card cy'cle is completed provision must be made, for releasingarmature 25'from notch 28 and this is preferably eifected by means of acam 30. v

The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is subshown in Fig.

is. employed in place of the multiple relay an'natures 21 of Fig. 1. The

arrangement of is such that they are disposed so as to jointly andindividually act upon armature 21a. For example, the coils could be ofpancake form and spaced closely together, the armature 21a being placedadj acent the end of the coil assembly in any desired manner.

The circuit diagram shown in Figs. 3 and 3a is that of a tabulatingmachine now in general use and more fully described in the applicationof G. F. Daly and R. E. Page.

Serial No. 6980, filed February 5, 1925 now Patent No. 1,762,145, datedJune 10, 1930. For simplicity of illustration the alternating currentcontrol has been made entirely separate from the regular D. C. cardcircuit and machine control. The A. C. and control circuits are shown byheavy lines Similarreference characters are employed as on Fig. 1 so faras possible. From, contact blocks 15 and 16 suitable cable connectionsare shown leading to the opposed windings 17 and 18.

In order toutilize selective columns and for suppressing the operationon desired columns coils 17 and 18 are not permanently that instead ofemploying the individual relays 21 a common relay armature such as 21amay be employed. The control circuit 7 4 extends to the usual controlrelays 91 and 84 of the tabulating machine and maintains the operationof the tabulating machine during the period of the cycle when camcontacts C1 break. Interruption of this control circuit 74 brings abouta stoppage of the tabulating machine or otherwise modifies the operationthereof.

It is obvious from the above that the arrangement described is capableof detecting differences in successive cards of the single hole orHollerith type. In this type of cards double punchings frequently occurand since they are usuall in error it is desirable that attention'be caled to this fact. Where two perforations occur in one card and one ofthese corresponds to a perforation in a successive card magnet windings18 and 17 will both be energized and machine operation will continue.However the presence of any perforation in one card without acorresponding perforation in a successive card will be immediatelysensed by either the upper or lower brushes and cause energization ofeither magnet 17 or 18 alone to altermachine operation. This detectionmaybe effected irrespective of the previous agreement of other andcorrespondin perforations of successive'cards, as would be likely tooccur in cards arranged according tothe combinational or other systeminvolving plural perforations in a single card'column.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic control or a tabulating machine and the like comprisinga plurality of magnets each comprising a coil energized the perforationsin both records and exerting a magnetizing effect upon the disagreementof the perforations in the records, and means for bringing about acontrolling operation upon the occurrence of said magnetizing effect inany one or more of said magnets.

2. A controlling device for a perforated record controlled machineincluding a plurality of perforation sensing elements, and a magnetbeing controlled thereby and having opposed windings arranged toneutralize each other upon the sensing of concurrent perforations bysaid sensing means.

3. A record controlled machine plurality of index point controlledcircuits, magnet windings in each of the aforesaid circuits, saidwindings being opposed to each other'whereby neutralizing effects aresecured upon the said windings receiving cur:

rent from corresponding index point perforations.

4:. A controlling device for a perforated record controlled machine,including a differentially wound magnet having opposing coils receivingcurrent under the control of separate perforations of a plurality ofperforated records, said coils being grounded to neutralize each otherupon the agreement of the records and to provide a magnetizing effectupon a disagreement of the perforations of said records.

5. An automatic control device for a tab- Llating machine and the likecomprising a control circuit, a plurality of record controlled magnetsfor controlling said circuit,

each of said magnets being controlled by the record perforations of aplurality of records, each said magnet having provisions forneutralizing the magnetic effect thereof u on the agreement of theperforations of di erent records.

6. A control device for a record controlled machine comprising aplurality of magnets, means for neutralizing the magnetizing effect ofone or more of said magnets upon the agreement of the controlling recordperforations and for establishing a magnetizing effeet in one or more ofsaid magnets upon the disagreement of controlling record perforations.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 in which means is provided forcontrolling the operation of the machine upon the occurrence of amagnetizing effect in any one or more of said magnets.

8. A control device arranged to compare the perforations of a pairofrecords comprising magnet devices having windings independentlyenergized under the separate control of the perforations of saidrecords,

having a said magnet devices having provisions for automaticallyneutralizing their magnetic action upon the agreement of the respectiveperforations of different records, and a control means which is kept outof operation 9. An automatic control system for a record controlledmachine comprising separate mechanisms for analyzing concurrently twosuccessive records, circuits controlled by said mechanisms and meanscontrolled by balanced current conditions in said circuits fordetermining one type of machine operation and by unbalanced currentconditions in said circuits for determining another type of machineoperation. I

10. An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising separate mechanisms for analyzing concurrently two successiverecords, a separate circuit controlled by each mechanism and meansconjointly controlled by said circuits for determining one type ofmachine operation on current flow in both "of said circuits and anothertype of machine operation on current flow in only one of said circuits.7

11. An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism including a slngle brush for successivelysearching index points in a column of a controlling record and a singlebrush for synchronously searching index points on a column of asucceeding record,a

circuit controlled by each brush, and means conjointly controlled bysaid circuits in accordance with balanced current conditions thereinduring complete record analysis for determining one type of machineoperation and for determining another type of machine operation onunbalanced current conditions at any time during the record analysis.

12. An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism including a single brush for successivelysearching index points in a column of a controlling record and a singlebrush for synchronously searching index points in a column of asucceeding record, a circuit controlled by each brush and meansconjointly controlled by said circuits in accordance with simultaneouscurrent changes in each to deunchanged current conditions orsimultaneous current changes during a complete record analyzingoperation to determine one type of machine operation after thetermination of the record analysis and controlled in accordance withnon-concurrent current changes in the circuits for determining anothertype of machine operation after the termination of the record analysis.

14. An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism for sensing index points on a controllingrecord and analyzing mechanism for concurrently sensing index points ona succeeding record, separate circuits controlled by each mechanism,electro magnetic means conjointly controlled by said circuits includingmagnetizing means energized in opposing senses by said circuits andmeans controlled by said electromagnetic means in accordance with likeand unlike index points on succeeding records for controlling machineoperation.

15. An automatic control system for a record'controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism including a single brush for successivelysensing index points in a column of a controlling record and a singlebrush for synchronously sensing index points in a column of a succeedingrecord, a separate circuit controlled by each brush, electromagneticmeans conjointly controlled by said circuits including magnetizing meansenergized in opposing senses by the two circuits and means controlled bysaid electromagnetic means in accordance with like current conditionsduring analysis in the two circuits for determining one type of machineoperation and in accordance with unlike current conditions duringanalysis in the two circuits for determining another type of machineoperation.

16. An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism including a slngle brush for successivelysensing index points in a column of a controlling record and a singlebrush'for synchronously sensing index points in a column of a succeedingrecord, a separate circuit controlled by each brush, electromagneticmeans conjolntly controlled by said circuits including magnetizing meansenergized in opposing senses by the two circuits, means controlled bysaid electromagnetic means in accordance with simultaneous changes incurrent flow in the two circuits for determining one type of machineoperation and controlled by said electromagnetic means in accordancewith a change in current in one circuit alone at any time during recordanalysis to determine another type of machine operation and means fordelaying the effects of the determined control until the termination ofthe record analysis.

17. An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism for sensing index points on:

a succeeding controlling record field, a cir- J cuit controlled by thefirst-named analyzing mechanism and having its status changed each timesaid first-named analyzing mechanism senses index points, a secondcircuit controlled by said second analyzing mechanism to change'itsstatus each time the second analyzing mechanism senses index points, anda'machine control circuit controlled conjointly by said first and secondcircuits.

1& An automatic control system for a record controlled machinecomprising analyzing mechanism for sensingindex points on acontrollingrecord field and analyzing mechanism for concurrently sensingindexpoints on the succeeding record field, separate circuits controlled bysaid mechanisms, an electromagnet in each circuit, each electromagnethaving its status changed by its associated analyzing mechanism eachtime said latter mechanism senses index points, and a machine controlcircuit conjointly controlled by said electromagnets.

v 19. In an automatic control system for record controlled machines,analyzing elements for a corresponding column of a pair of records forconcurrently sensing designations on both records while in motion, andmeans controlled by either element for modifying machine operation whenthe designat1on 111 one record includes at least one designationdiulfering from those common to and provided on both records in thecorrespondmg columns.

20. In an automatic control system for record controlled machines, asingle sensing element for each of a plurality of records, means wherebyone or other of the elements detects the presence ofa designation on oneof the records subsequent to the sensing of corresponding designationson the plurality of records, and a machine control device con trolled bysaid means for controlling the operation of the machine.

21. In an automatic control system for record controlled machines, asensing element for each of a pair of records, and means whereby eitherelement causes the signifying of the presence of any designation on arecord without a corresponding designation on a succeeding record aftersensing of like designations on both records.

22. In an automatic control system for record controlled machines, asensing element for each of a plurality of records, means whereby eitherelement in the movement of the record past the related sensing elementdetects a designation not corresponding with a designation sensed by theother element,

and a machine control device controlled by said means.

23. In a machine controlled by records provided with pluralperforations, analyzing means for concurrently sensing perforations in aplurality of records wh1le in motion;

1 and means for altering machine operations when a perforation occurs ineither record when a corresponding perforation does not occur in theother record and which is in addition to like perforations in bothrecords.

24. An automatic control system for a tabulating machine comprising apair of sensing elements, one for each record, means whereby eitherelement detects the difference between any designation or any possiblearrangement of designations on one record from any other designation orarrangement of designations on a succeeding record, and a machinecontrol device operated in accordance with such detection.

25. An automatic control system for record controlled tabulatingmachines comprising a machine control device, electrical analyzingdevices, each coordinated with one of a plurality of records, and meanswhereby said analyzing devices detect differences in any designation orarrangement of designations on one record from any other designation orarrangement of designations on another record to operate the machinecontrol device.

26. An automatic control system for record controlled machinescomprising a ma chine control device, an analyzing brush for each of apair of records for simultaneously analyzing designations in bothrecords, and means whereby either analyzing brush detects, to operatethe machine control device, a designation on only one record in additionto other and like designations on both records.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

JAMES W. BRYCE.

